Written by Josie Griffin
One in every 133 Americans has Celiac Disease—that’s about 2.8 million. My daughter is one of them. For us, “gluten-free” isn’t a fad, it’s not the next low-carb or low-sodium. It’s changed my daughter’s life.
It seems like the food industry talks about “gluten-free” like it’s the next bacon craze to jump on. For manufacturers, retailers and restaurateurs, you should approach it seriously but with sensitivity. It’s not like a nut or shellfish which seem relatively easy to avoid. Gluten is ingrained into our eating experience as Americans. By the time most people with Celiac Disease have been diagnosed, it’s almost a relief since most have been misdiagnosed for five plus* years before finding out the real issue. The relief can quickly turn to frustration when grocery shopping and eating out begin. There are so few options out there and such little education from our experience.
Generate repeat traffic and word-of-mouth.
Demonstrate that you offer gluten-free and you’ll have our loyalty. The gluten community is strong and vocal. Word-of-mouth is extremely strong—count on traffic increases when you offer gluten-free choices. People with Celiac Disease want to be like everyone else, and have the same dining and grocery shopping experiences as everyone else. So when we find establishments and manufacturers that help us, we support them.
Let’s talk about the veto vote.
If one person in a group doesn’t approve of the restaurant choice, the whole party goes elsewhere. Many restaurants view Celiac Disease as a small nuisance affecting a small minority of the population. While this may be true, strictly speaking, we’re a family who likes to go out to eat often. We only frequent establishments who have made an effort to either offer gluten-free menu items – or at least train their staff on how to speak intelligently about which menu items are gluten-free or can be adapted and prepared separately back-of-house. If you multiply a family of six by four times dining out together in a month, that’s twenty-four heads that will be gained or lost. If you add in the number of times my daughter goes out with her friends to celiac-friendly establishments, you can double that, at least. The issue doesn’t look so small anymore, especially as restaurants try to recover in the post-recession era.
Gluten intolerance is not just medical—it’s emotional.
Just remember, we’re talking about the health and wellbeing of our loved ones. The food industry, with relatively little effort, can make a real difference in the lives of those with Celiac Disease and their family members, simply by being educated and by offering up a few items or adaptations reasonably priced, reasonably good-tasting of a reasonable variety. We’re pretty easy to please.
*http://www.celiaccentral.org/Celiac-Disease/Facts-Figures/35/
